Schools, libraries seek help from state

Funding for education and public libraries were of concern for many who attended Tuesday’s public hearing regarding Gov. Spitzer’s 2008-09 proposed state budget.

Chinki Sinha

Funding for education and public libraries were of concern for many who attended Tuesday’s public hearing regarding Gov. Spitzer’s 2008-09 proposed state budget.

State budget Director Paul Francis fielded questions from an audience of about 65 people who gathered at SUNYIT to discuss the budget.

Some spoke about the cuts in Medicaid, others expressed concern on rising property taxes that are forcing people to sell their homes.

But many local officials voiced their concerns on education-related issues :

School Funding

High taxes and economic development has been a challenge in the face of declining population in Central New York.

Howard Mettleman, superintendent of Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, said it would help if the state pumped in additional education funds into the region’s school districts. It would help keep taxes lower and improve programs, he said.

“Distribution is the issue,” he said.

In the proposed 2008-09 budget, there is a $1.76 billion increase in the state aid. There is also a $146 million increase in pre-k funding.

While additional monies are not an issue, how and where these are allocated calling for adjustments in equitable distribution, Mettleman said.

“Our taxpayers shoulder more burden than others in the state,” he said.

There is a $1.3 billion increase in the STAR program in the proposed budget to help seniors, but many said the increase isn’t enough, and there should be other long-term reforms.

Library Funding

Several librarians also spoke Tuesday on the need for permanent supplemental
and construction aid for maintaining public libraries in the area. Because these are smaller programs, they often are overlooked, state officials said.

“We will try to bring that to the governor,” Francis said.

Representatives from the Utica and Rome public libraries said their facilities need state funding to ensure they sustain and upgrade their services during the hearing.

Low-Income Assistance

Increasing assistance to low-income families in the budget also was expressed at the forum. The Mohawk Valley has a large number of low-income families that need assistance in the face of rising utility bills, triggered off by rising oil prices, a representative from Community Action Group said.

A Community action official asked the state to increase public assistance aid from $291 to $475 for a family of three, adding this amount has not increased since 1990.

Balancing the Budget

The governor will present the budget in January 2008. Deliberations on the proposed budget will continue through March, and the budget will be enacted in April.

Officials said with mortgage fallouts, the revenues will be limited.

Around 20 percent of the state’s tax revenues accrue from Wall Street. But with increases in foreclosures and the slowing down of the housing market, that revenue could be affected.

Priorities as outlined in the budget include expanding health-care access, increasing school aid, property tax relief and providing for business tax relief.

There is a $4.3 billion budget gap as a result of the shortfall in the revenue, Francis said.